Housemates
by Zender
Summary: SLASH HP/JB. Seth and Jacob need housemates to pay the rent. Harry and Hermione have just made the move across the pond. Hilarity may or may not ensue, but Jacob is sure good at sticking his foot in it.
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

I don't even claim to be good at writing, but sometimes an idea just has to be put to paper. Or.. keyboard. You know what I mean. I don't have someone proofing my stories and I'm sure there will be grammatical or spelling errors strewn throughout. I did my best, I promise.

Also, I don't own Twilight. Or Harry Potter. I wish I owned Harry Potter.. I'd never let him leave the bedroom. Sadly, this is not the case, and I don't make any money from this.

This is my first attempt at writing a fan fiction of any sort of decent length so please review (kindly? Or not. I can take it! Actually I probably can't.) if you feel so inclined!

Warnings: Slash, for now. HP/JB. This chapter is pretty innocent. It is likely it will become.. not..so..innocent. In time.

So without further ado:

**PROLOGUE**

"Jake..."

"Not now, Seth," Jacob Black huffed, flopping out over the worn brown leather couch of his apartment in Port Angeles.

"But Jake, if we don't find new housemates soon, we won't be able to afford this place much longer," Seth said, a whine in his voice.

"I'll work something out...I can get an extra job or something." Admittedly, though the thought didn't appeal to Jacob, it was far better than getting two random people off the street to come live with them.

"Look, I... I put an ad on the college housing board the other day, and had a few people apply." Jacob raised an eyebrow in response. "They can't all be as weird as the last ones we interviewed!"

"Seth," Jacob replied, letting out a sigh, "we just can't trust people outside of the reservation. I know we're much better at controlling our shifting now but we just can't risk..."

Seth simply frowned in response, before getting up from the armchair he had been slumped in next to Jacob and walking over the dark, worn floorboards to the giant fridge that occupied the majority of their kitchen. He pulled out a bottle of milk and turned to find Jake having slid further off the couch, half his torso now lying across the rug on the floor. He was staring at the ceiling.

Seth found resolve and turned fully to Jacob. "I know you don't want to let anyone in, and that's fine, but Rochelle wasn't from the Rez, and neither was the guy we don't talk about. I can't take too many shifts and keep up with my classes at the same time to pay for this place. Besides, you have barely spoken to anyone since Bella married Edward, and after Rochelle cheated on you, you stopped talking to anyone even during classes, you don't even-"

"I am not obsessed with Rochelle still!" Jacob growled, cutting him out. "Or Bella!"

"Hah," retorted Seth, "Then why do you spend half the night staring at Bella's pictures on Facebook?"

"I'm just checking Cullen hasn't turned her yet..." Jacob sulked, the lie apparent in his eyes.

"Yeah, right." Seth said, closing the fridge and taking a size-able gulp of milk before wiping his mouth with the back of his wrist. "Still doesn't explain why you spend the rest of your time stalking your ex-girlfriend when you're not stalking Bella. You are _meant_ to be studying!"

Seth was pretty sure he heard Jacob let out a whine.

"Look, Rochelle moved out a month ago, and we need to get another two room mates in _now_. I have finals in two weeks! You start yours in one! I can't be stressed wondering about how we're going to pay our rent when I still have four piles of readings to cover, and I don't want to move back to the Res just yet."

Jacob slowly pushed himself off the floor before pulling an over-sized grey hoodie off the armrest and over his head. "Hah, you try having your girlfriend cheat on you with your other housemate and see how it feels! I'll figure it out, I just need some time," he said, grabbing keys and sticking them in his shorts pocket before heading for the door.

"Jake, I..."

"Don't interview anyone yet!" he yelled, closing the door behind him. Seth's frown deepened as his eyebrows raised in a concerned manner. He heard heavy footsteps as Jake descended the stairs from their apartment, before seeing him speed away running down the street. Seth loved living in their apartment whilst he was studying at the community college. It had four bedrooms and would be considered huge by normal standards, with it's large arched windows and exposed brick walls, but it always felt a little cramped and more than cozy considering the size of the shifters who lived in it.

He loved college life, and tried to encourage Jake to do the same. He knew Jacob said was only studying so that he could make a better life for Billy, but he knew that they both loved zoology equally. Whilst he wanted to be a Vet, Jacob loved researching the species found in the Olympic park. He was a second year student, whilst Jake was finishing his fourth and final year. Seth knew Jake like an older brother but was at a loss. Sighing with the frustration of not knowing what to do, Seth put the milk back in the fridge, before returning to his room to study.

- Oooh. Page Break. -

Jacob's tattered runners pounded the slick pavement as rain pounded down, drenching his clothes, hoodie clinging to his muscles. He always ran through the town to clear his mind, sometimes all the way through the park back home to the reservation. It was his favorite time to reflect on things. Things like Rochelle.

He had met her during his first year of college whilst still living in the perpetual angst of being Bella's second choice, and she'd clung to him the second she'd met him. They'd moved in with each other in second year with.. with _Chris_, and Seth had come to join them to register for college.

Chris was Jake's best friend at college and probably the first friend he'd that wasn't from the Reservation, and wasn't Bella. Chris was also now known as 'He-who-must-not-be-named' throughout the pack. He'd been the one to steal Jake's girlfriend.

Perhaps she'd been a bit too clingy and he'd had no love for her best friend Jessica. She may have had a penchant for asking for gifts more expensive than he probably could have afforded. They may have fought a little more than a normal couple would have, and the couch did sometimes feel like a second bed, but that was normal, right? He had tried so hard to imprint on her, and love her forever.

But Jake was beginning to think that love wasn't for him.

So here he was, in his final year of College, freshly dumped and living with Seth. It was fine, really. He was happy. He didn't care about the bitch. He didn't care that Bella always sounded so happy when he spoke to her. He didn't care that he saw pity in Seth's eyes every time they brought up Rochelle and he-who-must-not-be-named. But if he didn't care so much, why was he crying? Maybe it was just the rain.

He stopped to strip off his shorts and tie them to the leather rope around his ankle, the soaked hoodie discarded near the pavement. Seconds later he shifted and sprinted off into the forest. Life was shit.

Seth could hear the sorrowful howl from the apartment.

- Oooh. Page Break. -

Hermione sprinted up the stairs with a huge grin on her face, as she searched for her best friend. "Harry! HARRY!" she yelled, bursting into the room of his dorm.

"What?!" her raven-haired best friend yelled in reply, his tone joking.

"You'll never guess what, you know how I ap-"

"-plied for an out-of-university exchange year?" Harry finished for her. "And you enrolled me in the same program too? And now we are going to middle of the desert in Australia? Where it's ridiculously hot and unpleasant? And it never rains? And there are no trees? Next week?"

"Well..." she replied deflated, "well, yes, that. How did you know all that?"

"A little birdie told me," he said, eyebrows wiggling, his lips quirking up from their previous frown.

"Damn it Luna! Well, you should start studying in preparation. I've read the creatures they have in Australia are simply _fascinating_. Really, they have dragons with skin that looks like Opal!" She exclaimed, her tone rapid and far from her usual composed state.

"'Mione, we have at least a month before we have to move! Australian universities have a different term schedule to ours," he explained before mumbling, "and who wants to bake in the middle of the desert anyway."

Ignoring the remark, she continued. "It is always best to be prepared, so I ordered us some books off the Internet! There's plenty to do beforehand, besides we'll have to start looking for accommodation sooner rather than later and - oh! This is going to be so exciting!"

"Exciting eh?" Harry replied, single eyebrow raised. "That means that tonight, we go out and celebrate!"

"We can celebrate when we finish Auror training Harry!" Hermione replied, tone serious. "Besides, Ron is busy doing his healer placements at St. Mungos so there's no one else to go out with."

Harry let out a groan. "Can we not just enjoy our holidays for once 'mione?"

"This _is_ enjoying our holidays! I'm going into town to hit up some bookstores for the items I couldn't find online. It's so frustrating that Flourish and Blott's only sell restricted books in their store! And there's _so_ much we need to catch up on before we leave."

Considering the store was an apparition and maybe five minutes of walking away, Harry rolled his eyes. She was yet to take a breath between thoughts. Harry's eyes glazed over as Hermione began to talk through the exhaustive list of reading she would make them do. He often wished Ron had taken up Auror training instead of becoming a healer. He missed having Ron to distract Hermione when she was in one of these moods.

Life after Voldemort's defeat had been interesting. Ron felt a long standing guilt from not being able to heal Fred after the final battle, and the golden trio had gone through a period of depression, each dealing with the scars of the war. In an effort to recover, Hermione had insisted they all sign up for university, and after a protracted application period (as only Hermione had completed her N.E.W.T.s on time, whilst Harry and Ron had to sit supplementary exams), Ron was enrolled as a healer, Harry an Auror, and surprisingly, Hermione had decided to join Harry.

With the dark lord gone, most of their time was spent investigating dark creatures, but both had found a love of caring for creatures. Hermione had impressed Ron and Harry with her dedication to looking after creatures that were NOT house elves, and all three had settled into university life without much fuss.

Harry and Ginny had realised that their love was forged in the passion of war, and that the flame was quickly extinguished as they became close friends. It had been awkward for both parties after they had broken up, but once Harry had expressed attraction to other men, they had bonded over their mutual crushes.

Ron and Hermione's rise to fame as part of the golden trio meant that they had garnered the same level of attention Harry had throughout school, but had the advantage of being a super couple, and avoided the harassment that had now plagued Harry.

Harry had grown just a little taller, reaching 5' 11", with his ever-lasting mop of pitch black hair which now fell in a much more stylistically tousled fashion, stark green eyes behind his circular-rimmed glasses, and an everlasting five-o'clock shadow. Quiddich had broadened his shoulders and added muscle to his body though he still retained his impeccably fast reflexes due to the Auror training. Whilst he personally didn't notice the changes, it seemed the rest of the females on campus (and a few of the males) had. It led to plenty of... _awkward_... moments.

A scrunched up piece of paper hit him in the face, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"- still aren't listening to me! Don't think I don't know when you zone out Harry!" Hermione continued. "Now. Australia!"

Just as the sinking feeling began to set back in at the thought of a year in the desert, an owl flew through the dormitory window, landing twin letters in the friends laps. Exchanging looks, they glanced down at the letters, and Harry felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"So," he said, looking back up at his friend. "Looks like we're headed to the States!"

Her eyes widened as she read on "They want us to go _next week_!" He could almost see her hair gain frizz as she became flustered. "I have _books _to order! _Lists _to write! Don't they _understand?_"

"It sounds fun! They say here we'll get to investigate the forest. Much better than a desert, don't you think?"

In resignation eyes slid back down to the letter in her lap.

Hermione harrumphed. "Forks. What kind of name is that at any rate?"

- Oooh. Page Break. -

So, here's the prologue! Hope you enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

I can't tell you how excited I was that anyone as much as READ this story! (Honestly). I thought maybe I'd be lucky if two of my friends read this. So thanks!

Once again I am working with limited proof-reading (and my lack of writing talent) so apologies for any mistakes! Please let me know where you find them and I can amend, I am very grateful for help! =)

In this chapter, Harry and Hermione set down roots in Forks, and Harry has a first encounter.

Elfin69 - Thanks! As you can see, Ron's there for Hermione but it won't always be effortless!  
>GreyTruth - Thanks! =)<br>TwilightEclps - Happy to oblige! I intend on keeping a relatively constant update cycle (then again, how often do you hear authors say that!)  
>Haunt of twilight - Haha, I am glad!<p>

Warnings: Slash, for now. HP/JB.

**CHAPTER 1:**

In a very un-Ron like fashion, tears streamed down the ginger's face, as he clung tightly around the tiny, bushy-haired form of Hermione. His arms were practically as thick as Hermione's body as she was dwarfed within the embrace of the shaking man.

"C-come back soon okay? I'll visit!" Ron sniffled. "It's only a year I know but I'm going to miss not having you around! I'll come visit during my next break from healing rounds!"

"_Mrrpgh_," came the muffled reply, all that Hermione could say whilst squeezed so tightly to Ron's chest.

The week had flown by, and Harry and Hermione found themselves waiting for an international port key in the dark-green tiled halls of the ministry, with a farewell party in the form of Ron and Luna.

Harry slapped Ron on the back in a gesture of comfort, trying not to laugh as Hermione struggled to turn her head, a single eye peeking through her mop of hair. Luna stood watching, whilst slowly configuring her hair in a similar fashion over her face.

"I know that going to do subjects in the magical faculty of a muggle college sounds exciting but do you have to go?" Ron cried.

Hermione took a deep breath before she began to explain why she simply had to go, while maintaining her eye-contact with Harry. "I'll miss you too Ron but an opportunity like this doesn't come around often and just think of what knowledge we could bring back from our Amer-" but stopped suddenly whilst trying to make out the words Harry was miming to her.

Harry was holding back laughter as he mimed_ "Ron's nose is running into your hair,"_ gesticulating towards the wet patch forming on top of his best friend's head. Hermione's arm shot up suddenly as she felt around the crown of her head and her eyes widened with disgust. She placed her fingers in front of her face as she stared at the sticky substance on her fingers. She immediately began struggling in an attempt to free herself from Ron's firm embrace.

"I know. I'm going to miss you too 'Mione," Ron said into the hair of his flailing girlfriend, misinterpreting her attempts to get free as desperate hugging.

Hermione could only roll her eyes and give in to the snotty-haired embrace. "I know," she sighed, wrapping her arms back around her boyfriend, dropping her shoulders in defeat.

"Hmm..." interjected Luna dreamily, a single eye staring out from the hair now over her face. "The sign says there are ten minutes until the Seattle Port key activates. So I suppose we should say our final goodbyes!"

Ron released Hermione from his crushing love, before moving onto Harry, clapping him on the back as he hugged the man.

"Now mate, you better look after my girl!" Ron began, earning a dubious look from Harry, "and take care of yourself - for once. And please, _please_, get yourself a nice American man, alright?"

Harry spluttered, flabbergasted "I am not going to America just to, I mean I -" but was cut off by Luna's soft voice.

"Oh yes Harry, that sounds delightful. I hope you can find one just like the ones in those movies you download off the Internet."

"I-I.. I didn't I mean I-" Harry's face went bright red, whilst Ron leaned back from their hug shaking with laughter and ruffled Harry's hair.

"Mate. I did not know you had it in you!"

Hermione clasped her stomach, crying with amusement, whilst Luna stared adoringly at her friends. "It's okay Harry, they're quite entertaining. I didn't realise some men were so flexible!" she chirped in her uniquely Luna way.

"R-right.. well.. I guess that uh.. we should go then 'Mione?" Harry asked, wanting to get away from the situation, and sure that the redness from his face had spread all the way to his toes.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Hermione nodded, grabbing the handle of her trunk. "I'll miss you guys and take good care of Harry. I'm sure we'll find him a, uhm, _hunk_ in no time flat."

Farewells completed, the duo headed through the arch and to the boot sitting atop the pedestal. Grinning at each other, Harry took a deep breath. "Here's to a new year, eh?" he said, smiling at Hermione, and they grasped the boot in unison with a quiet _pop_.

- Oooh. Page Break. -

The late afternoon sun filtered through the windows and spilled onto the sticky floor of the university pub. Dressed a tight t-shirt (they just didn't come in his size), Jacob was playing a round of pool with Seth in the mostly empty establishment to blow off steam. He'd spent the last four hours cooped up in the library, which was an exceptionally long time for a man like himself, and had planned to spend his afternoon relaxing with a few beers.

He had gone mostly un-harassed for the afternoon apart from the bartender who'd subtly implied that when she finished for the day she was after a little company. His rejection had been polite enough but unfortunately for his plans to relax, she turned out to be rather persistent.

The final ball in the pocket, Jake took the last swig of his beer, proposing they exit the bar. Seth headed to the restrooms before they left, and Jake picked up his belongings preparing to leave. The world - and the bartender - had other plans for him however, as she sauntered past and placed a beer in his hand, taking the empty one from him. "Consider this one... on the house," she said, with a wink.

Fully intending to place the beer untouched on the nearest table, he turned to leave, only to come face to face with his ex-girlfriend, and her best friend.

"Jacob!" Rochelle squealed, lunging forward to hug her ex-boyfriend. "How _are_ you?"

He attempted to extricate himself from her grasp, careful of the fake talons that were adhered to her finger tips. She had never been like this when they had first met. She'd had voluminous auburn hair, soft brown eyes and tanned skin. Her favorite items of clothing were simple - a pair of denim cut-offs and a singlet. She was now dressed in some glittery outfit, and reeked of cigarettes and hairspray, with orange skin and far too much eye-makeup. He wasn't one to judge someone just by their looks, but she'd changed.

"I'm fine," he managed to get out, finally free of her grasp. _Where the hell is Seth?_ he wondered. "How's Chris?" he asked coolly.

"Oh, he.. he's fine." A flash of emotion crossed her face, before she changed tactics. "You remember my friend Jessica, right?" Jessica stepped out from behind Rochelle's hair, waving politely. He remembered her from his time with Bella, the same mousy brown hair and smile, with the same vapid attitude written over her face.

He made eye contact and noticed as she blushed. "Yeah, you're Bella's friend right? Look, I was just leaving..."

"No you weren't," Rochelle said, looking at his beer, "Now be nice and finish your drink. I'm going to get Jess and I some drinks!"

Jacob sighed as she turned and marched off to the bar. _God damn it Seth.. Hurry up and finish peeing!_ If only he could telepathically communicate when he wasn't a wolf.

"Actually I'm in most of your classes... are you ready for the exam?" Jessica asked. If Jacob hadn't been avoiding her eyes he'd have seen the look of utter adoration.

"I actually need to study for it, so I should, uh, probably go do that."

"She misses you, you know," Jess started, her voice unsure.

"Yeah, well... I'm glad." Jacob knew he should try to sound a little less bitter about it. Jessica had started making small talk and he was pretty sure he should have responded by now. He looked out the window awkwardly, wondering how he should make his leave. A touch startled him, as he saw Jessica slowly drawing towards his body.

"_I_ could make you feel better..." she said, slightly more confident, as she suddenly stood on her tip-toes trying to kiss him.

Jacob gagged as he placed his hands on her shoulders to prevent her from getting any closer.

"Jake!" he heard Seth call, scanning the bar for his pack member.

If only to make his day worse, his eyes passed the bar to see Rochelle making out with he-who-must-not-be-named. Jessica took a step back as she saw every muscle in Jacob's jaw flex with anger. This was not the way she wanted to approach the guy she'd had a crush on since she first saw him talking to Bella.

Seth maneuvered through the bar stools and tables in the bar to make his way to Jacob. He looked between his best friend and the girl with a raised eyebrow. "Right Jake.. shall we go?"

"Let's."

Jessica watched Jacob's back longingly as he and Seth exited the bar.

Jacob was going to need to go for one hell of a run to get today out of his head.

- Oooh. Page Break. -

Harry placed his trunk down on the shabby carpet before falling face-first into the hotel bed. The only hotel that had two rooms interconnected in the whole of Port Angeles would not have been either his or Hermione's first choice but it was close enough to campus and would have to do.

Rolling over to escape the smell of the stale sheets, he looked up at the ceiling, starting at the stain on the roof. How on earth did coffee get there? Americans were weird. Dust motes floated in and out of the shafts of sunlight coming through the shutters over the window.

He and Hermione had spent the week before leaving researching their course and the town they were moving too. The college in Port Angeles had a magical faculty that its muggle students weren't aware of which allowed magical students the rare opportunity to partake in both magical and muggle subjects.

This final year of their studies was an Honours year, in which they were allowed to pick any specialisation they'd liked. Hermione had been studying the folklore surrounding different creatures and Harry had been studying the care of said creatures as an elective, and so their university had decided that coming to this place was the perfect chance for both of them to round out their educations.

The Olympic Area college had some obscure but well-versed teachers, and its proximity to the Native American tribes and the town of Forks which had always attracted magical creatures made it ideally located for both Harry and Hermione's final years.

Harry in many ways was looking forward to a fresh start where he didn't have to worry about everyone knowing his name, people following him around, and all the other crap that usually came with being The Chosen One.

Plus, he didn't exactly mind the idea of finding an 'American Hunk' as Luna had so kindly put it.

The sharp ring of the phone made him jump from the bed, as he searched the room for the sound of the disturbance. Finding the phone located in the bathroom (really, the bathroom? this hotel was so weird), he answered to catch Hermione mid-yawn.

"Ahem! Harry! Sorry, I thought I'd see how you were going with your unpacking!"

"Oh... I'm going.. alright.." he said, guiltily looking at his unopened trunk. "I was thinking we should probably look for a place, you know, a proper one."

"I know, I am unsure about your room but it seems that a past tenant of mine somehow managed to, uh, _throw up_ on the roof. It doesn't appear the cleaners were fully equipped to clean it."

Harry could hear the cringe in her voice. "Oh dear... well, magical classes start next week, and muggle classes a month later. I say we look for a proper place before classes start."

"Oh yes! The early start of magical classes is supposed to help us catch up on the final year muggle classes!" she said with far-too-much excitement about the prospect of study.

"Brilliant," came Harry's reply, dripping with sarcasm. "Well, I don't know about you but I'm going to get something to eat. Care to join?"

"I'd love to Harry, but I really think I just want to take a nap. Do you mind bringing me something back?"

"No worries 'Mione. Have a good nap!" He stood up from his seat on the toilet, blinking as the seat cover fell down nosily.

"Thanks Harry. By the way, you do know there is a phone next to the bed," came the matter-of-fact reply. "It's rude to answer the phone whilst on the toilet," she said, mocking him.

"I-I wasn't, I just..." he said, before registering her laughter on the other end. "Fine. I'll bring us back some food."

"Thanks Har," came her sleepy reply.

Harry smiled as he put down the phone, finally opening his trunk. Pulling on sneakers and a sweater, Harry headed down the stairs and out onto the street, deciding to head towards the campus and find a burger joint for his first American meal.

- Oooh. Page Break. -

Jacob was in his trainers once more, getting rid of his frustration. Rochelle was such a.. such a bitch. Who'd she think she was managing to make him jealous. Still.

He was far too lost in his thoughts that he barely saw the shorter man who was carrying a tray of drinks and a bag of fast food down the street.

He slammed into the man from behind at full speed, knocking him over and covering both of them with the contents of two large sodas.

Jacob pulled himself up first, looking down at his clothes. He looked down at the stranger getting up off the pavement. "Hey! Watch it!" he reprimanded.

Harry turned around, emerald eyes blazing with frustration. "Me? You ran into my _back_!" he yelled, flicking the soda off his fingers as he eyed the bag of burgers that lay strewn across the concrete.

"Er.. I'm.. sorry," Jacob replied, unsure and embarrassed. He took in the messy black hair and burning green eyes of the stranger, a strange heat pressing in on his mind. He tried to shake it off, thought it became oppressive and disorienting. "Just be more careful next time," he responded, trying to sound apologetic but failing entirely.

Harry went to open his mouth before the tall, dark-skinned man dusted himself off and continued running down the street, his face confused. Harry crouched down to see if any of his food was salvageable. The only item that wasn't covered in dirt or soda was a serviette. Frowning, his stomach chose that moment to growl angrily. Harry huffed.

"Bloody git."

**END NOTE:**

Yeah, love is _never_ easy. Next chapter should be out within the week!


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHORS ****NOTE****:**

Chapter TWO. It's scary how much I enjoy writing this. It's terrifying. It's even scarier that anyone reads it. I appreciate it, honestly. If I could I'd give you all warm apple crumble, cause I love that shit. I also updated on time! Great success!

In this chapter, class starts, Harry deals with a skeezeball, a.k.a. Mike Newton. And some animals meet. Don't be concerned, there's no awkward animal intercourse.

I really like Mike, he's cute and sweet but for now he will be sleazy!Mike. In the best way possible.

As always, I'll fix grammar and typos as I can. My best friend HystericFreak proofed this for me, and for that I owe her a hug or eight. Also, let's trial a more serious page break.

Zane Makura - I know what you mean, I think I am partially addicted to HP/JB. Hopefully I can do them justice.. we shall see! And thanks, I will try and clean them up whenever I find them!  
>tsuki107 - I'm glad :)<br>Lientjuhh - Haha, hopefully the end is a long way off!  
>Patty Potter - Aww, thanks! And I am glad google's translation of my story works well! Que te cuides!<br>Hayan - Hahaha, I am glad. I'm trialing a new page break just for you!  
>Elfin69 - Hmm.. did jacob just imprint! ;)<br>KittyBits - I will update as regularly as I can! I'm unsure about the British accent, I'm Australian but perhaps I write.. with.. an accent? hahaha  
>Slytherinatheart - thanks! Here you go!<br>SevenBlackRoses - Haha thank you!  
>Make war not love. war is fun - cool story bro! ;)<p>

Warnings: Slash, for now. HP/JB.

**CHAPTER**** 2:**

Hermione's hair bounced as she strode across the campus lawns to their first muggle class. Whilst regular classes had come to an end, Hermione had _insisted_ that she and Harry attend the exam preparation workshops to see what would be expected of them in the semester ahead. Harry had opened his mouth to argue the night before but had become instantly wary when his best friend had adopted _that_ look.

The one that said he was going to come, and they were going to study, or he was going to regret it.

And so he found himself running to catch up with Hermione, who was wearing what suspiciously looked like her Hogwarts uniform sans wizarding robe; tights, a tartan miniskirt, white blouse and grey sweater, with red and gold details, and her hair had been tamed with Sleekeazy's Hair Potion. For Hermione, old habits died hard. He looked down and smiled to find himself in boots he'd worn through the war, a pair of jeans Ginny had picked for him (even if he thought they were a little tight), and an emerald green shirt with a grey v-neck underneath.

It may be Slytherin, but damn it, it matched his eyes.

"Harry, hurry up!" came Hermione's call, as she slid through the large wooden doors and into the run down, solid brick campus building, nestled on the edge of the grounds near a thick redwood forest.

Harry jogged to catch up and slipped into the lecture theatre behind her, eyes scanning the crowd for Hermione. He found her seated at the end of a row, one spare seat between herself and a dark skinned boy who reminded him slightly of the one he'd met on their first night in town.

He sunk into the chair and attempted to maneuver the swinging arm-table, anxiously looking at the other students in the theatre. Notebooks were already placed out on their benches, pens and pencils strewn haphazardly across their desks, filling the theater with their clamor.

His eyes returned to the desk which he was having trouble with, when a russet-skinned hand was held out before him.

"Name's Seth. You guys must be new here right? Or are you just the kind who don't show up all semester and only come for the exams?" came a friendly voice, a smile on the edges of his lips.

"Er.. Harry," came the slightly flustered response, offering a significantly less tanned hand in response and shaking firmly.

He felt the weight of Hermione against his shoulder as she leaned across him to shake his new chair-mate's hand. "Hello! I'm Hermione. Actually, we're on exchange here for our final year and I thought it would be best for us to revise by attending an earlier years exam preparation class. I know it's somewhat unorthodox and I hope the lecturer doesn't mind, but I am sure we can contribute to the class in some way."

Seth's face said all that Harry needed to know. "Don't worry, it's almost as if 'Mione doesn't need to breathe when she talks."

The two laughed whilst Hermione punched him playfully on the arm.

"So..." Harry began, "is the class often this full before the Lecturer even arrives?"

"Not really, I think it's just that before exams everyone, even the slackers, come out of the woodwork."

The trio paused as the theatre door swung open and a blond man strode over to them, clearing his throat loudly. Harry took in the attractive man's figure quickly, barely hidden under an excessively tight t-shirt for the college football team and well-fitted jeans. _American __Hunk__, __huh__?_ he thought to himself. Seth rolled his eyes as the blond began to talk.

"Seth! I'm upset, you didn't save a seat for me!" he said, shooting Seth puppy-dog eyes.

"Wow. I'm sorry Mike! That's a shame!" came Seth's overly cheery response. Harry smiled inwardly at the implied sarcasm.

Mike's gaze shifted suddenly to Harry, eyebrow raised. "You're in my seat, new guy."

Harry's mouth dropped open as his brow furrowed with confusion. _The __chairs __weren__'__t __marked__, __were __they__?_

"Well," inserted Seth, "It's not really your chair. Especially when you don't usually come to class. "

"I may know that, but I was hoping you were going to introduce me to your new friend," he smirked, the implication obvious in his voice. Harry's cheeks began to glow a little red.

"You can introduce yourself," shot Seth, tactfully leaving off the words _"__you __annoying __tool__."_

A sly grin spread across Mike's face. "Nice to meet you, I'm Mike Newton. You have the nicest green eyes I think I've ever seen, and you're in my seat." Hermione made a gagging sound, earning her a glare from Mike.

"Well, I guess I'm in it now."

"I guess you are, but I'm sure you can -" Mike said, lowering his voice to a growl "- make room for me on your lap."

The red on Harry's cheeks reddened as Mike proceeded to lower himself onto Harry, as Mike continued.

"Or, you could sit on my lap. I don't mind." Mike's arm looped around Harry's neck as he sidled further onto Harry's lap.

The lecture door slammed shut as the class went dead silent. The professors heels clicked against the wooden floor as she strode to the lectern.

"Everyone! SIT! Even you, Mr Newton. I apologise for being late, but let's begin."

Mike had jumped up at the entrance, and Seth quickly reached over and pulled Harry's desk out from between the chairs and over his lap, protecting him from the threat of being sat on once more, just as Mike turned around to stare back down at Harry.

Mike sulked towards the back of the theatre, and the corner of Seth's lips turned upwards as Harry mouthed '_thank __you_.' Both went to turn to face the front of the class, and caught Hermione's eye as she whispered under her breath "How _obnoxious_!"

Harry adjusted the table in front of him as the lecturer took her place. First there was the guy who ran into him on the way home, and now this one. _Guess __my __American __Hunk __is __probably __going __to __be __a __git__. __Hah__._ If he was at least a little honest with himself, he was warily bitter about the concept.

They seemed so much _nicer_ in romantic comedies.

_Heck__. __They __even __seem __nicer __in __porn__. _He sighed inwardly as the lecturer began.

-Page Break-

Harry stepped into the forest after having snuck out of the lecture, Hermione begrudgingly agreeing to share her notes (although she seemed sure they would remain unused).

Mike's cologne seemed to still be lingering on him and it was hardly the nicest scent. The forest however, smelt like moss and earth and the damp. He sucked in a deep breath of it before treading deeper into the undergrowth.

Small droplets of rain began to filter through the canopy leaving cold spots where they landed on his arms and face. He felt himself relax as it got heavier, letting himself focus on the sounds of the water pelting through the foliage.

He flexed his back muscles, preparing to run home; the one thing he thought best to capitalise on whilst in a slightly isolated town was a chance to run.

And so, focusing on his magic, he felt his muscles shift and grow, as he fell to the ground on all fours. His fur bristled with magic as he shook the water off, feeling droplets soak his wet mane. Claws gripped the floor of the forest and tore through bark and fern as he sprinted through the forest, feeling free enough to let out a deep roar, the lion inside him free once again.

_Gryffindor __indeed__,_ Harry thought, his inner cat reveling in the run.

-Page Break-

Jacob was on patrol, shutting the rest of the pack out with his Alpha presence. He loved the smell of rain as he padded through the forest, nose lifted to the air searching for the scent of anything foreign.

He'd been the leader of the pack since Bella and Cullen had returned from their honeymoon. Bella had remained a human, much to Edward's relief and after much persuasion. His paws began to kick up flecks of dirt as he broke into a run. Jacob had told himself he wasn't holding onto the flame. He'd even dated Rochelle to prove to himself that he wasn't. He didn't particularly like her afterwards, but he found himself caring less about it than he probably should have.

His fur began to bristle in the wind as he sprinted silently through the dense copse of trees. If he was honest, Jacob was just frustrated that he didn't seem to be able to hold down a relationship. At least, that was the best way he could describe it to himself; even with the pack, he was just lonely. He was a leader, a wolf, a strong, independent shape shifter.

And he was lonely. So lonely that it hurt, and whilst irrational and somewhat silly, he'd give anything to change it.

His nose caught the strings of a faint, unfamiliar, delicious scent. The wolf went still, standing in a clearing, the downpour sliding off his russet coat.

_Foreigner__._

He stood in the grass, nose desperately grasping at the threads of the smell. Cinnamon and fire... and... cat? Jacob tasted the air cautiously, tail slowly wagging to-and-fro, as his long body slowly wound its way to a monolithic stump, large enough to fit himself on top of.

He sniffed wildly, trying to discern the scent from that of the rain and the earth and the trees. He predatorially stalked the prey approaching the shadow on the other side.

He froze as he rounded the trunk.

_Lion__._

_-Page Break-_

Hermione left the lecture theatre, deftly avoiding the awkward conversation that Mike seemed desperate to engage in - likely regarding Harry.

She was certain she'd lost him as she made her way to the Library, in hope of finding safe haven from the blond's insistent ways. She settled into a chair at one of the long desks and took a moment to observe her surroundings. Students quietly listened to their headphones whilst bent over books and papers, pens littered across the tables. The mottled yellow carpet seemed to be from the seventies, much like the rest of the building. The bookshelves were made of heavy dark-brown steal and covered in books and there were large arched windows breaking up the cream walls, long shafts of light highlighting motes of dust in the air. They seemed to be inviting her to lay her head on the books and just sleep.

This library didn't have the grandeur or majesty of the Hogwarts library, but it certainly did share the same smell of old books. Times like this, she missed her school days. Since then, everyone had paired off, except for Harry. Cho had been somewhat of a monumental failure, and in Ginny's case, it was understandable but sad. In the years Hermoine's had noticed a distance in Harry's eyes, a longing exasperated by being in close proximity to other couples. The media would have started a firestorm had he began a public relationship with another guy. Now they were here, and Harry seemed to keep running into assholes. Literally.

Unfortunately for her, this one was far more persistent then she gave him credit.

"Heeeey new girl! Where's your cute friend?" she heard Mike holler.

Hermione felt some small amount of smug satisfaction as she noticed the glares he earned for talking so loud in the library.

"_What __do __you __want__? __We__'__re i__n __the __library__!" _she whispered snidely. His eyes feigned innocence.

"Hey, I try to not step foot in here. I just followed you and wanted to see if I could get your friend's number."

She cringed inwardly. "_Perhaps __you __ought __to __show __up __for __class __next __semester __and __you __may __get __to __know __him __yourself__!_"

"Well, I-"

"_Shhhhhh__!" _came the reply from a chorus of students distracted by his presence.

Just as Mike turned to look at the other students, who had resumed looking down at their books, Hermione took a risk and summoned her books into her bag, pushing the seat back and apparating to the exit of the library as she stood.

She made her way through the populated common area of the campus, stopping only as a flyer met her eye.

_Housemates __Wanted__!_

_Two __veterinary __students __looking __for __like __minded __fellow __students_

_as __room__mates__. __Four __bedroom__, __two __bathroom __apartment__, __and __a __short __walk __to __the_

_veterinary __campus__. __Easy __drive __into __town__._

_Call __Seth__._

There were several photos of a beautiful open-plan apartment. The veterinary campus was their muggle campus and immediately next to the concealed magical one. Hermione felt the name "Seth Clearwater" was familiar, and so she quickly tore off a tab with a muggle mobile number and the name written neatly, before continuing her way back to the hotel.

-Page Break-

Jacob could smell the breath coming from the sleeping lion, the scent of cinnamon and fire strong in his nose. He extended his muzzle slowly forward to sniff the peculiar animal.

A whisker twitched in response, sending the wolf's heart racing. Whilst still curled up inside the stump, the lion was at least his size, if not slightly larger. He admired its sleek fur, the shaggy mane, and felt compounding curiosity as to why there was a giant African Lion sleeping in North-West America, completely outside of it's temporal range.

The great _panthera__leo_, he had learnt in class, would hardly survive isolated and unnoticed in an environment like this. They were far more social creatures than wolves were. It's very existence was fascinating to him, and he stared deep into the sleeping face.

A second twitch from the lion resulted in an eye opening. Jacob stood transfixed, inches from the lion's face, as a second eye opened. He found himself lost in the depth of brilliant emerald irises.

And with that, the world fell away as every thing and every one became irrelevant.

He imprinted.

**END****NOTE****:**

DUN DUN DUN. Update within the week!


	4. Chapter 4

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

Listening to the Skyrim soundtrack is totally counter productive when trying to write. All I want to do is play Skyrim. God damn it. Moving right along then...

Sorry.. I just love cliffhangers! So here is Chapter 3 of Housemates. I don't know if you're like me but part of me is all WHEN WILL SOMETHING HAPPEN.

Also, the page break is back. I think I may have found a compromise. I'll put it in the middle, so it's out of the way but it's still.. my page break. As always, typos and writing errors are sure to be abound (I feel like I don't need to say this anymore, but if I don't someone will review and be all harhar this is terrible and my heart will break.) But HystericFreak has once again helped edit out most of the creases.

Also: Oh god so many reviews! I will do my best to respond to them all! I may have to just start responding to questions.. but hopefully not for a while! :)

CrystalBlues, tsuki107 - Ahh, I just can't help but put cliffhangers in. It's okay, the wait is only short! (I hope).  
>emo assassin pandas - Thanks.. Strangely I think all the characters are starting to reflect my friends.. I'll try not to break them.<br>Elfin69! Hehe, you review all of my chapters! And well...Jacob has plenty of issues to handle! You get to find out just what they notice now.  
>Zane Makura - I hate it when they make harry a weak creature.. well, perhaps hate is a poor word, but Harry is just so strong!<br>Patty Potter - They did, but Harry had glasses on and a mind skilled at occlumency!  
>3689070 - Interesting name! Haha. Thank you for pointing them out! I will go back and amend.. This chapter has less "whilst!" I brought back the page break just for you. Thank you very kindly for your offer of beta-ing.. depending on how long this story goes for I might just take you up on that offer!<br>Lientjuhh, xxSlyherinAtHeart, Sir Ezquisitoh, cheekysorceror - Haha, I'm glad you like it!  
>Hayan - Jacob may <em>just<em> do that. It will take a bit of time though, you'll just have to wait and see! :)  
>MichieviousCuriosity - Your review made me smile all day! I'm not THAT evil...<br>Gina619 - I am glad.. the page breaks are back! And Jacob does feel MIGHTY awkward.  
>Luv 2 Cry - Yeah.. JacobHarry is like my crack. Speaking of which.. I should write a Jake/Harry crack!fic.  
>LunaticV, AriLivesnotDylan - You'll see!<p>

**CHAPTER 3:**

The lion's gaze shot through Jacob's soul, and the wolf stood in awe, ears perking up and tail flip-flopping against his hind. The lion tilted his head to one side, chest reverberating as it thrummed with a soft purr.

Harry's curious green irises inspected the almost puppy-like beast before him. The wolf was vastly larger than any he had seen, almost matching Harry's enormous size. He had russet-red-brown fur, and the kindest, softest eyes. He was also sporting a look of perfect adoration.

With a wide and lengthy yawn, the Lion slowly slinked his way out of the trunk and towards the other creature, causing it to take a nervous step back. Harry felt immediately at ease; there was a strange heat pressing in on his mind, which felt so familiar and yet slightly distant. He could smell the woody, masculine scent of the canine. He was definitely an alpha of his pack.

The wolf cautiously placed one paw forward, approaching his new-found companion. When it did not back away, he leaned in, slowly pacing one black, wet nose against the cat's pink one. The wolf's eyes slid shut as the corners of it's mouth turned up in what only could be described as a look of bliss.

The lion purred louder at the sudden contact, instinctively nuzzling the long neck of the wolf, mind lost as if in a haze.

The two giant creatures, so incompatible by nature, circled each other, bodies brushing together as they passed. The wolf re-postured itself, gazing once more into Harry's emerald orbs. Hebegan to notice the pressure in his mind intensifying, pushing him out of the hazy state as he felt his feet lock into place. He felt his magical core twitch and shudder as if being bound, his pulse quickening. War-trained reflexes kicked in as mental barriers stronger than iron slammed down around his core, his mind going cold and numb, razor-sharp warding any further intruder away.

A whimper came from the Wolf's throat, as the lion retreated. His ears pulled back as the muscles in his imprint began to tense. With Harry's hind quarters lowered, the feline made a mighty bound over the stump he had inhabited and before Jacob could move, Harry shifted with crunch of flesh and a loud crack reverberated around the forest.

The smell of cinnamon and fire was only fleeting. Jacob's imprint had gone. He shifted and crumpled into a shaking heap on the damp forest floor.

_-Oooh. Page Break-_

"I think I've found a place," stated Hermione. "I need to do some further investigation and chat to the boys that live there but I'm sure it will be appropriate." She looked across the desk at Harry, who was perched cross-legged on the library chair, a thick book in his lap, with glasses hanging off the tip of his nose. He was absent-mindedly toying with the foil on his chocolate bar, and she was fairly aware that he was not listening to her. "Oh! That book sounds interesting, I've marked it down for course reading potential!"

Harry did not issue a response, lost in concentration.

"And then I walked into town and transfigured a car into a flock of giant birds."

Nada.

"Not knowing what to do, I summoned an electric storm to try and dispose of them."

Harry's eyes continued scanning the pages intently.

"But it was too late as they had been eaten by a pack of flying Zebras" she continued, before pursing her lips.

"Suddenly there was a pack of giant Wolves," she added sardonically.

"Huh? What now?" Harry blurted, finally meeting his best friend's gaze with a startled look.

"Are you okay, Harry? You seem a little... distracted." She raised her eyebrow, a concerned frown crossing her face.

"Oh, yes.. yeah.. I'm fine," he said, eyes no longer making contact. "I was just really absorbed in this book."

Hermione took a cursory glance down at the page, which seemed to be documenting the wolf packs of the area, and made a small note of it in her textbooks margin. The two were seated in the library, taking advantage of the quiet that had settled over the study area whilst most of their fellow students sat in a nearby exam hall taking their semester finals. It was grey outside (as it always was), the sunlight filling the aisles with a dull gloom, the study area sitting in a pool of warm light from the lamps on each desk.

She cleared her throat and resumed. "As I was _saying_, I think I've found a place for us to move! No more of that horrid hotel!"

"Oh? Sounds good." Harry's attention began to drift back towards the book.

"I just have to contact the two _boys_ that live in the house."

It was Harry's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Are they hot?"

She sent him a well-deserved eye roll. "Well, I have the mobile number of one - Seth, from the lecture a week ago. I'll contact him later this evening and hopefully we can discuss moving in. If all goes well, we should be able to move in within the next few days. I know it's presumptuous but I have a good feeling about them."

"What would I do without you, 'Mione?" Harry asked sheepishly, not having given the idea of moving much thought outside of wanting to flee to hotel they were staying out.

"Suffer immeasurably," she supplied, smirking.

"True."

Meanwhile, in a nearby lecture theatre, Jacob felt the tension he had felt since his imprint had fled melt away as he sat down to take his exam. He skimmed the paper and smiled with ease. He was going to ace this.

_-Oooh. Page Break-_

Hermione was waiting patiently in the booth for Seth to arrive, having arranged an interview with him earlier that day. She'd been at the diner early, of course, and had ordered some tea which she was watching slowly grow tepid. Just as the drink started to reach the point of being undrinkable, a large man slid into the chair opposite her, a white-toothed grin lighting up his boyish face.

"Hey Hermione! I thought it might have been you; I'd never heard that name before and you're the only student aside from Harry who has a British accent."

She couldn't help but smile at his friendly - if a little energetic - greeting. "Oh, yes, well, I suppose you've guessed then that the two applicants are myself and Harry. I know you've met us before but I'm sure there's plenty you'd like to ask before we move in."

Seth's good mood seemed infectious. "Well, not really. You two seem pretty great, and usually we- I mean... uh.. _I_, have a good instinct about these things. Actually, knowing it's you two makes me happy. You hang out in the library a lot so you must be reliable."

Hermione laughed. "Well, yes, I'm not sure if that's a sign of reliability but I'll take it to be a compliment. Well, if that's the case, what do we need to discuss? The cost was on the flyer you put up, and we are more than happy to pay that as necessary."

"Oh, really? How fast can you move in!" Seth paused, suddenly remembering his sister had told him not to appear too eager. "Well, uh, maybe I should warn you about Jacob. He was just dumped and you're a pretty girl and-" he began, before his stomach rumbling interrupted his train of thought.

As if by chance, two large slices of apple pie were placed down in front of them, the waitresses overtly sexual glare raking over Seth before walking away.

"I took the liberty of ordering some pie," Hermione said as began to unravel her napkin and place it down on her lap. She took her first bite. "Mmm, it's good! Not as good as Harry's, but definitely good!"

"Wait. Harry makes Pie?" Seth said mid bite, a torn edge of pie crust hanging from the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah, Harry's a great cook," Hermione agreed, slowly setting into her pie, just as her dining companion finished his. She was sure she saw him drool ever-so-slightly.

"Well, you're in! But.. Look, Jacob's been a bit down in the dumps lately. Something happened a week ago, I thought it was just exams but he's been a little, uh... _hormonal_ lately and-" he paused, struggling for words, "I don't know how well he'll deal with a pretty girl, and Harry's been causing a bit of a _thing_ with the girls at college, so the extra competition isn't gonna be so great..."

Hermione blinked as she took in Seth's word vomit. "Well," she began, carefully composing her response. "I have a boyfriend back home, and Harry isn't going to be competition for Jacob."

"Wha? He isn't?"

"N-no. You see, Harry's type is much more likely to be, uhm, Jacob_ himself, _rather than the girls Jacob is interested in."

"_Ohh,_ right, right. No problems, then!"

With an understanding reached, they finally took the time to discuss the logistics of moving in together. Whilst the apartment was close to the campus, it wasn't close to town. The boys apparently had no troubles running to town, at which Hermione gawked, but because of this, the car spot was currently unused, with Jacob's motorcycle parked out the front of the building.

Hermione knew she wasn't much of a driver, but she knew Harry was, and so, shaking hands with one of her new house mates, she took off back to the Hotel to inform her best friend of their new lodging arrangements.

_-Oooh. Page Break-_

Harry hopped off the bus and made his way up to the local car repair shop Hermione had found on the Internet. Their site had mentioned they sold a few of their older repaired cars, and some were reasonably priced. He'd done his best to look sharp, dressed in neat navy slacks and a button-down shirt, professional enough to hopefully avoid the ministrations of any annoying car sales assistants pitching at hapless students.

What he found as he approached the Black Repair Shop was a big red barn acting as the main workshop, with a few patched up cars scattered about the yard in front of it. His shoes crunched on the gravel as he looked in the windows of the old green BMW parked out the front of the shop.

Jacob was working in the shop, wearing overalls and covered in grease. His ears began to ring as his nose caught the tail end of a very familiar scent. The sound of a customer outside snapped him out of the strange sensory overload, forcing him to push it to one side. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, leaving a brilliant streak of oil across the entirety of his face. Cringing, he stepped out of the workshop to greet today's first customer.

What he found was a shorter, well dressed man looking intently in the window of one of the cars on the yard.

"Hey! Name's Jake, nice to meet you!" he hollered.

"Oh, H-hi," came the answer, the man not looking away from the car. "I'm Harry, I was told I could find a used car here."

"Sure can, what're you after?"

"Well, I'm not entirely certain," the man said, making to stand up and face Jacob. He froze as their eyes locked, and suddenly the pressure he'd felt days earlier pressed in on his brain.

Jacob paused. There was something so _familiar_ about those green eyes, he just couldn't place his finger on it. He noticed his customer glance away and scan the forest rapidly, his posture adjusting into one that spoke of being used to threats. Jacob didn't recognise the imprint connection inside him bristling against Harry's mental barriers. In his defence, Harry didn't exactly look like a lion.

"Sorry, I just... do you have wolves near here?" asked Harry.

"Well, I-I guess we probably do, they wouldn't dare come this way though," he replied, carding his fingers through his hair awkwardly.

Harry sharpened his mental defences. He couldn't pinpoint the source of the mind but wherever the wolf was, he shot out a heated spike of mental energy to warn it away. "Well, okay. I guess, I just need a car, I can pay for it today."

Jacob smiled, eye twitching from the sudden bout of pain. He tried to remain friendly despite it, knowing he needed the sale. This would help get Seth off his back about the rent for another month at least. "Sure, well, I'll show you what we've got and we can go from there."

They toured the yard, Jacob explaining what kind of car they were looking at each time. Every hair on his dark arms bristled under the mental attack. Eventually they made it full circle and returned to the front of the workshop, where Jacob's own car, the Rabbit, was parked.

"Oh, I like this one. It's cute!" Harry said.

"_Cute?"_ Jacob replied, frustration peaking. This was his bad-ass rabbit they were talking about.

"Oh, yeah. How much do you want for it?" _A million bucks or you naked on top of it._

Jacob bit down on his tongue. Where the hell had that come from? He shook his head and pushed _that_ to the back of his mind. He really needed the money for the rent but there was no way he was going to sell his baby. Harry edged closer to him as he rounded the car, and the ringing in his ears got louder. "Oh it's very... _very_ expensive. Lots of repair work, scratches all over the paint."

Harry reached into a pocket and extracted his glasses, opening them and pushing them up onto his nose. He stared at the car intensely. "I don't see any issues with it." He turned to the salesman.

With his glasses on, he could see the salesperson much clearer, regardless of the grease obfuscating his face. "Wait... I remember you! You ran into me and ruined my tea! _And _you broke my glasses!"

The sharp pinpricks exploded down Jacob's neck. "That was not my fault!" he said, recognising the man now he had his glasses back on. _God now I look like such an idiot __**and **__he wants the rabbit __**and**__ my head is pounding so hard I want to shift. _"The-car-is-not-for-sale!" He replied briskly, and perhaps a little sharper than he had intended, as he stormed back into the workshop.

Harry frowned, not entirely sure what had garnered such a reaction. Looking around and ot seeing anyone else around the yard, he made to leave empty handed. Walking back down the path, he heard a shout from the house on the property to see an older man in a wheelchair making his way unsteadily towards Harry.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Billy Black," came the kind voice. "Please ignore my son, he's been acting a little weird lately. Whatever he did, it probably was his fault." His features wrinkled as he smiled openly. "Can I help you get a car sorted?"

Harry smiled in response, joking with the old man easily as they traversed the yard.

_-Oooh. Page Break-_

Harry lifted the boot of the BMW as Hermione fished around for her trunk, inconspicuously resizing it before heading into the building. Harry retrieved his own luggage before struggling up the path to meet Hermione in the lobby of the apartment building.

"I'm surprised we get to move in so fast, I mean, we haven't even met Seth's friend!" Harry grunted, as he hauled his items into the lift.

"Well, we should count ourselves lucky. Besides, it looks like an absolutely stunning apartment."

Hermione quickly made her way out of the lift and strode towards the door, whispering an incantation to remove the weight-reduction charm on her trunk.

"Why didn't _I _think of that?" Harry complained, hefting it towards the doorway. Hermione smirked, before knocking on the door only to have it immediately opened by Seth.

"They're here!" he shouted back into the apartment, receiving a muffled response from the kitchen.

Making small talk and introductions as they entered, Hermione went wide-eyed as she gazed around the apartment, with it's exposed-brick walls and floor to ceiling bookcases along the pillars.

Harry too made a cursory glance at the apartment, interrupted as his eyes laid to rest on the _very_ attractive backside of Seth's friend. He felt his heart race as his new roommate began to bend over to place a cup into the dishwasher, causing his denim shorts to slip down ever-so-slightly over his incredibly well shaped arse.

"Isn't it _gorgeous_ Harry?" exclaimed Hermione.

Harry stood transfixed. "... Yeah."

Jacob spun around at the sound of the accent.

Both men stared at each other, momentarily stunned. Their mouths opened simultaneously.

"_YOU!_"

**END NOTE:**

I have a plan, I do...

As always, next update, next Thursday. I can't totally leave you starving.. here's a bit from the next chapter. Jacob's going to have to live with him, how's he going to win his new housemate over?

Jacob mentally face-palmed himself for his foolishness. _Why am I so riled up that Harry was checking out my ass? I don't have any problems with Harry being gay. I mean, I'm not gay myself, I just... __**imprinted on a male animal**_**. **_Who he reminds me of. Damn it._

He sighed before wandering back into his room and falling face-first into the covers.


End file.
